orchis
Americannoun
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any orchid.
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any of various terrestrial orchids, especially of the genus Orchis, of temperate regions, having spikelike flowers.
noun
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any terrestrial orchid of the N temperate genus Orchis, having fleshy tubers and spikes of typically pink flowers
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any of various temperate or tropical orchids of the genus Habenaria, such as the fringed orchis
Etymology
Origin of orchis
1555–65; < Latin < Greek órchis testicle, plant with roots like testicles
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The same can be said of salep, a fine powder ground from dried orchis tubers used in the Middle East to thicken ice cream.
From Newsweek
Among the trees in the lower Kama Valley grow many parnassias, a tall green fritillaria, a handsome red swertia and a very sweet-scented pink orchis.
From Mount Everest the Reconnaissance, 1921 by Charles Kenneth Howard-Bury
She gathered purple colt's-foot and orchis, yellow iris and goats' honeysuckle.
From A Tatter of Scarlet Adventurous Episodes of the Commune in the Midi 1871 by S. R. (Samuel Rutherford) Crockett
It was a white orchis with maidenhair; and then suddenly a door at the further end of the gallery opened, and a tall man, whom John had seen before, came out.
From Diana Tempest, Volume I (of 3) by Mary Cholmondeley
“Oh, that’s a twayblade,” I replied, “one of the orchis family.”
From The Story of Antony Grace by George Manville Fenn
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